By: Ridho Ramadhan )*
Attacks on national stability in the era of rapid technological and information developments like today do not always come from outside or physically, but instead also develop from within through the systematic spread of negative narratives.
Issues such as “Dark Indonesia” and negative opinions on the revision of the TNI Law are not only a form of expression of freedom of opinion, but are also part of a deliberate strategy to damage the legitimacy of state institutions.
The spread of such narratives, if not watched out for by all parties, can weaken public trust and actually create social instability that has the potential to cause multidimensional losses to the state order in the Republic of Indonesia.
Marcella Santoso, a suspect in the case of obstruction of investigation of the corruption case of crude palm oil (CPO) exports, openly admitted her role in the production and distribution of various provocative content that was deliberately aimed at attacking the Attorney General’s Office, the Revision of the TNI Law, and even the eighth President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto.
Through a press conference held by the Attorney General’s Office, the confession further clarified the work pattern of the network that she allegedly commanded in an effort to further disseminate very misleading opinions to the public.
TNI Information Center Chief Major General Kristomei Sianturi emphasized that the Indonesian National Army will never allow issues that can weaken the country to continue to develop without any response.
The TNI stated that it provides full support to the Attorney General’s Office in exposing the network of negative narrative spreaders who have been trying to tarnish the image of state institutions and threaten the foundations of national unity.
Kristomei emphasized that the TNI is ready to work closely with all law enforcement agencies to uncover the involvement of parties behind the distribution of misleading information.
According to Kristomei’s assessment, the spread of such negative issues is not just a form of criticism, but a serious threat to the stability of the country. He considered that such actions create space for social unrest, worsen relations between institutions, and disrupt the ongoing legal process. For this reason, he encouraged a full disclosure of the actors behind the buzzer network and the flow of funds that support the operation to spread negative content.
On the other hand, the Director of Investigation at the Attorney General’s Office, Abdul Qohar, stated that investigators had obtained electronic evidence that showed the connection between the “Dark Indonesia” narrative and the Revision of the TNI Law with the motive of leading public opinion.
Investigators suspect that these narratives were produced not to educate the public, but to create a false perception of the investigation process carried out by state legal institutions. The goal is none other than to reduce the credibility of law enforcement and obscure the substance of the case being handled.
Abdul Qohar explained that although investigators did not directly investigate institutions outside the scope of the Attorney General’s Office, the existence of negative narratives against the Revision of the TNI Law and the Attorney General’s Office was found on the suspect’s electronic devices. This is the basis for conducting an in-depth investigation into the motives for producing content and the communication relationship between the perpetrators.
Marcella, in her statement, expressed regret for her negligence in supervising the social media team that under her direction had produced a number of provocative content. She admitted that she had no personal hatred towards state institutions that were the targets of the content attacks, including the TNI and the AGO. However, this admission did not erase the broad impact of the spread of issues that had clouded public opinion.
In the investigation process, the AGO has named four other suspects who have strategic roles in the distribution of negative content. One of them is the Head of Cyber Army, M. Adhiya Muzakki, who is said to have led hundreds of buzzer accounts to spread narratives attacking state institutions.
The AGO said that Adhiya received almost IDR 900 million from Marcella to ensure the success of the distribution of the content. Another suspect, Tian Bahtiar, is suspected of receiving hundreds of millions of rupiah to create negative news about the AGO and the TNI Bill.
Furthermore, the disclosure of the case also revealed the fact that there were activities such as seminars and demonstrations that were deliberately organized to strengthen negative public perception. The activities were directed to get media coverage and provoke emotional sympathy, even though the substance of the narrative had not been verified as true. In this context, the spread of negative issues has moved beyond cyberspace and has begun to manipulateulation of public opinion in real space.
The TNI considers the situation to be a serious threat to the integrity of the state. As the vanguard in maintaining sovereignty, the TNI considers it important to increase public literacy in sorting information, as well as encouraging the public not to be easily swept up in the flow of false information. Kristomei emphasized that the TNI will continue to prioritize legal principles and professionalism in responding to all forms of attacks on state institutions.
The public needs to be aware that narratives wrapped in the rhetoric of freedom of expression do not always come purely from the public interest. In many cases, these narratives actually come from hidden agendas to weaken legitimate power structures and worsen the national situation. For this reason, vigilance against provocative issues needs to be part of a collective effort to maintain the integrity of institutions and the stability of the state. (*)
)* The author is a social media observer
